The Portland daily press., 1887-05-11
GIRLS WHO SMOKE.
A hablt Which a Brooklyn Observer
Thinks on the Increase.
[Brooklyn Eagle.1


A boy Of 12 or Is years Of age entered a
well known cigar store on Fulton street
few days ago and asked the proprietor for "a
package Of the same kind she got last night"
The wording Of the boys request struck a
bystander as rather strange. and the proprie-
tor evidently OWNED his thoughts, for as
soon as the boy departed he said: 'You
may think 1t queer to have heard the boy
speak to me as he did, and then TO see me
hand him a package Of cigarettes?" The
gentleman admitted that his curiosity had
been aroused and was on the point Of asking
who the cigarettes were for, II not for the
boy, when the tobaceonist vouchsafed the
explanation.
"There are more women In the City Of
Brooklyn who smoke cigarettes" said he,
'than any one not In the tobacco business
would ever dream Of. That young man wh0u
was Just In here Is the son Of a well-teSd0
business man who lives in one Of the high
toned houses not far from here, toward the
Heights. The boy Is his sisters messenger
In his trips here for cigarettes and purchases
on an average OF box day for the use Of
his sister and her feminine callers. The la
dies are very choice In the matter OF selec-
tion and can tell good article as well as any
OF the swell young dudes who frequent fash
ionable resorts. They prefer a cigarette
made with waxed mouthpiece or with a
does not stain the lips or get into the mouth.
1t Is funny thing to note the various de-
vices resorted 10 by the young ladies TO get
rid Of the tell-tale fumes OF the tobacco
which are bound to linger on the clothing
and breath. Cachous are at great premium
with them for the latter purpose. bid you
ever notice out In the park on q bright spring
or summer morning how the nurse girls de-
light to steal away into private nook and
there puff out the richly scented clouds Of
giuaraftp amnkQ so kaap off tho ~
mosquitoes, as they explain 1t. Why there
is Oficer-, Of the park police, who often
comes here for his smokers articles, who
knows more about this practice among the
ladies thon perhaps any other one man In
Brooklyn. lie has told me a great deal
about 1t and have learned a great deal from
personal observation.
Smoking either cigars or cigarettes will
blaeken the teeth, OF course, II the teeth are
not properly cared for, but the ladies look
out for that. WHY, / will venture 10 saw
that there are a number Of young ladies Of
your acquaintance right in this city, IL you
are at all well acquainted here. who smoke
habitually, and you would never dream OF
II. The trade from the gentler sex Is In
creasing every day, and beforo hong would
not be surprised 10 see ladies smoking open
ly In their homes, mean, after dinner, the
same as the gentlemen do.
In England nothing Is thought Of a lady
smoking a cigarette In the house, IL she
likes, and the practice Is coming into pretty
general use in this country. American pe0-
pie are slow TO take any new Ideas, and once
thing becomes fashionable they fall into
the wake Of the leaders. and follow them
like a flock Of sheep over fence. have
here curiosity In the way Of a cigarette
which Is used TO quite considerable extent
by ladies in this city. Ii Is made Of the
mildest and finest grade Of Turkish tobacco
and the thinest Of rice paper.
These cigarettes are, Of course, much
more expensive than those sold in the Ordi-
nary trade. They are all made by hand and
with great care. Habitual smokers require
an article Of more strength than this dainty
smoke, but 1t Is great fav0rite with the la
dies DO / have a large trade from ladies?
Well, not strictly speaking large trade but
there are a great many boys sent here for the
goods, have no doubt, by the ladies'. Mes
senger boys come sometimes, and again little
fellows picked up in the street. They always
know what to ask for, and have the exact
change to pay for them. can almost always
tell when they are to be used by lady. Is
the habit increasing among women? The
habit of using cigarettes certainly Is, but the
habit of smoking possibly not You and I
can remember how the grandmothers Of our
time used to smoke a corn-eOb pipe with evil
dent relish, and 1t didn't seem TO hurt them
any. Why shouldn't ladies smoke, II they
want to, as well as the gentlemen?"